10 items to cross off your summer home maintenance checklist

While lounging in the backyard is a signature seasonal pastime, fitting in a little DIY home improvement can help protect your biggest investment. Now is the perfect time to get outside and treat your home to some TLC with this summer maintenance checklist. Some of these tasks take no more than five minutes – no procrastination allowed.

[Photo Credit: NinaMalyna]

1. Check the air conditioner.
Because you rely so heavily on the air conditioner, you need to keep it in proper working order. Have it maintained by a professional annually to extend its life and nip any problems in the bud. Make sure to also replace the furnace filter every three or four months – this is not just a winter exercise.

2. Check the sealing around doors and windows.
Get out the caulking gun and take care of any drafts that could hamper your home’s energy efficiency. Maintaining seals also helps keep rot from forming and unwanted pests from inviting themselves in. This is also a good time to determine if any windows need replacing, too.

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Short on tools and supplies?
YP can help you find a local Hardware Store to kit you out with everything you need for your summer home improvement spree.

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3. Give everything a good cleaning.
Nothing clears away three seasons of dirt and grime like a power washer. Let the sun shine in those windows, blast the grime from the siding and the brick, mop up animal droppings and tree sap. Scrubbing mold off surfaces, especially window frames, will side-step all sorts of trouble. Soap and water not only make your home look good, but also protect it.

4. Repaint!
Speaking of good looks, summer is a great time to slap a new coat of paint or stain on house trim, brickwork, steps, outbuildings, and fences. If you make this “family time,” you’ll be done in minutes.

5. Attend to the roof.
Being as careful as possible, erect a ladder to check for loose or missing shingles, chimney caps, soffit and fascia, errant TV antennas or cable cords, and flimsy flashing. Ensure seals on skylights are intact, too.

6. Clean out the eaves troughs.
Spring’s tree-seed and blossom debris, summer’s storm crud, fall’s leaves – clearing the eaves troughs is an action item you should consider adding to the year-round chore list. Work your way down to inspect drain spouts as well.

7. Secure the foundation.
Fill in any cracks you find in the substructure due to shifting and general wear and tear. Sealing things up at ground level prevents water, insects (or worse, rodents), and radon gas from seeping into your home. Take care of any brick tuckpointing. Carry on to fill in cracks in the cement driveway and down any paths that need it.

8. Check outside taps for leaks.
Seasonal faucets tend to be neglected, but any leakage can bring about a considerable waste of energy and cost you money. Sometimes, the fix can be as simple as a strip of plumber’s tape.

9. Clear the dryer vent.
The shop vac can handle fluff that almost-but-not-quite finds its way to the vent outside, which will help your dryer do its job more efficiently, and prevent fire. The water heater and furnace exhausts can also be inspected while you’re at it.

10. Clean the garage!
This weekend! Imagine how good you’ll feel when everything is in its place, extraneous stuff is sold online or kicked to the curb, the garage door closes properly and the lawn-mower blade is sharp. Yes, that good.

Bonus chore: Once your summer list is checked, get a head start on fall. Maybe snowblowers are on sale?